by Illegal Street Racing During Car Week
During Car Week, hundreds of people gathered in parking lots in Seaside for illegal street racing. Police were forced to deploy additional forces and close several key points in the city. Authorities promise to enhance security measures next year, as the chaos overshadowed the official week’s events.
Reaction of Local Residents
Car Week is always accompanied by tension, but residents of Monterey and Seaside are not always happy with the influx of visitors. The gathering, which started as a cool car show, escalated into illegal activities, culminating in police intervention and promises to be better prepared in 2026.
“I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was insane,” said local resident Shaila Lucas, who watched the chaos spread to her street.
Police intervened around 11:00 PM, blocking roads to contain the situation, but the scale of the crowd was unprecedented for the region.
Events Near In-N-Out and Home Depot
Video from Sunday evening shows a crowd of people and a line of supercars near In-N-Out. The footage shows Lamborghini, McLaren, and other cars, their engines roaring in the parking lot while police were present. Initially, everything looked quite peaceful compared to other similar gatherings, but after visiting the burger joint, the situation deteriorated sharply.
Lucas recounts that cars lined up to perform donuts before police stopped them. Efforts from several police departments were required to clear the disorder, as the group moved to the neighboring Home Depot after leaving In-N-Out.
“We’ve never had such problems at either In-N-Out or Home Depot during Car Week,” stated Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges. “This year was our first experience with it. You can see the remnants of tire rubber left here. It shows a lack of respect.”
Plans for the Future
For some local residents, the only solution is to avoid the area during Car Week. “We try to avoid most of the peninsula during that week because getting around becomes too chaotic,” said Marina resident Beth McDonald. Police say they will be better prepared next year to handle similar situations.
This year’s events indicate a growing popularity of unofficial gatherings during Car Week, creating additional challenges for law enforcement. New strategies may need to be implemented next year to ensure the safety of both participants and local residents, while preserving the spirit of the automotive events.
